The Villans currently sit in 18th place, level on points with Wigan, but are in the drop zone due to their inferior goal difference which is the worst in the league. But the Birmingham-based club’s chances of survival have been boosted by the poor form of the clubs around them, leaving Villa a mere four points off 12th place.

Having battled for most of the season, Lambert now believes his side are well equipped for the scrap, while those teams who have recently been sucked into the battle are less prepared.

“Every team in the bottom half of the table is in a battle now,” Lambert told reporters. “We are four points off twelfth and for much of the season we have been accustomed to this situation. We've been living through it and we've dealt with the pressures it brings."

He added, “Suddenly, there are other teams that have been pulled into it, teams who haven't had to get their heads around it and we'll see now what happens. The important thing for us is that we don't get caught up in it all, that we continue to focus on our games, on our jobs and that's what we'll do.”